58 replies to this topic

[neddles]

I used Weyermann for a long time and found some inconsistencies.

What did you notice that was inconsistent? How long ago was that?

[Big Nake]

I used Weyermann for a long time and found some inconsistencies.  I thought I was crazy based on their reputation, but when I switched to Durst I got better tasting results.  When I once again switched to Best, I put Weyermann far in the past and haven't been back.

 
FWIW, Avangard is the largest maltster in Germant.  And they make some great stuff.

Everything that I have made with Avangard has been great. There was some discussion about how the kernels in the sacks of Avangard were smaller and causing issues in brewer's mills. I actually had those issues (the rollers wouldn't turn... sometimes) but the beers came out stellar.

[darkmagneto]

maybe it tastes dirty because it was on the floor.  Just saying.      

[positiveContact]

maybe it tastes dirty because it was on the floor.  Just saying.      

 

someone needs to sweep the floor once in a while?

[darkmagneto]

someone needs to sweep the floor once in a while?

Exactly what I was thinking.  If they would just clean up every once in a while, the malt wouldn't taste dirty.

[positiveContact]

Everything that I have made with Avangard has been great. There was some discussion about how the kernels in the sacks of Avangard were smaller and causing issues in brewer's mills. I actually had those issues (the rollers wouldn't turn... sometimes) but the beers came out stellar.

 

have you compared avangard with best on any malts?  I'm really happy with best but maybe for certain malts/styles avangard would be "bester"?

who gave this thread the 3 star rating???

[Big Nake]

Best seems very consistent and I consider it to be a good, all-purpose pilsner malt. The character I got out of the first bag of Weyermann Floor-malted pilsner was very good. It seemed to have a certain something that the Best did not. I consider Avangard and Best to be very similar. When I make a beer, I don't want to be surprised by my ingredients. I have had beers where I think the malt was suspect and I have also had "fresh" hops have a funky, gym-sock character. Yeast has failed me, for sure (mutated, possibly mishandled by me, etc) and I know that I have built water the wrong way too. There are enough variables without your malt throwing you a curveball.

[positiveContact]

Best seems very consistent and I consider it to be a good, all-purpose pilsner malt. The character I got out of the first bag of Weyermann Floor-malted pilsner was very good. It seemed to have a certain something that the Best did not. I consider Avangard and Best to be very similar. When I make a beer, I don't want to be surprised by my ingredients. I have had beers where I think the malt was suspect and I have also had "fresh" hops have a funky, gym-sock character. Yeast has failed me, for sure (mutated, possibly mishandled by me, etc) and I know that I have built water the wrong way too. There are enough variables without your malt throwing you a curveball.

 

so given the option of best and avangard would you just pick whatever is cheaper?

[HVB]

I am sure it adds nothing to this discussion but I have used Franco- Belges for about 5 or more years as my only pils and have never had an issue with it. 

[positiveContact]

I am sure it adds nothing to this discussion but I have used Franco- Belges for about 5 or more years as my only pils and have never had an issue with it. 

 

I'm guessing most pils malts out there would be tough for me to tell apart.

[Big Nake]

I might go with what is cheaper. For a while there Durst Turbo Pils was really, really good and darkmagneto was a fan of it too. Then it got hard to find. I did find a sack of it at a place in Michigan and had it shipped. It has a very nice, European character to it. I also have a 5-lb bag of Dingemans which I have never used and it will clearly be used in conjunction with other malts so my guess is that it will just blend in with the rest. Also, Farmhouse occasionally has some sort of "featured specials" and when I was on there last week there was special for 10 pounds of Best Malz pilsner for $9.99 so I snatched that up. I make a lot of German styles so when it comes to pilsner malt, I generally don't buy domestic. That may be short-sighted but I have always heard that they're more one-dimensional because Americans don't like to actually taste anything.

[positiveContact]

I might go with what is cheaper. For a while there Durst Turbo Pils was really, really good and darkmagneto was a fan of it too. Then it got hard to find. I did find a sack of it at a place in Michigan and had it shipped. It has a very nice, European character to it. I also have a 5-lb bag of Dingemans which I have never used and it will clearly be used in conjunction with other malts so my guess is that it will just blend in with the rest. Also, Farmhouse occasionally has some sort of "featured specials" and when I was on there last week there was special for 10 pounds of Best Malz pilsner for $9.99 so I snatched that up.

 

I like the sound of that.  I wonder why they call it "turbo" pils.

[Big Nake]

No idea but it was really nice malt. It had a sort of fresh bread character that really came through in the glass of beer. I made a blonde ale with it (I think...) and I remember bottling that beer for a party. I showed up with 2 cases of this blonde ale in coolers and I hadn't tasted it yet. After the first few sips I started wondering where that great flavor came from. Got home and checked my notes... the first batch brewed with Durst Pils.

[positiveContact]

I just read the "turbo" refers to the conversion rate.  maybe it has very high diastatic power?

[darkmagneto]

I just read the "turbo" refers to the conversion rate.  maybe it has very high diastatic power?

 

That is it.  Durst claimed that the "turbo" was the high diastatic power of that malt.  I LOVED that Pils malt.  Too bad it's so hard to find now.

[Big Nake]

[denny]

What did you notice that was inconsistent? How long ago was that?

 

Man, it's likely been 8-10 years.  I would notice differences in the flavor.  Sometimes clean, sometimes "grassy", sometime kinda weirdly malty.  Like I said, Weyermann is so widely used and well regarded that I questioned what I was sensing, but I found that I got better, more consistent results with other brands.

I just read the "turbo" refers to the conversion rate.  maybe it has very high diastatic power?

 

Although Best is not advertised as "turbo", it converts every bit as well as the Durst.

[SchwanzBrewer]

Before you all poo poo Weyermann too much, contact the manufacturer and see if you can get the problem resolved. This might be a known problem with that particular malt.

 

I use regular Weyermann pils malt all the time and I find it to be very consistent. I don't use the floor malted stuff though.

[Big Nake]

Before you all poo poo Weyermann too much, contact the manufacturer and see if you can get the problem resolved. This might be a known problem with that particular malt.
 
I use regular Weyermann pils malt all the time and I find it to be very consistent. I don't use the floor malted stuff though.

... and I had an issue with the regular stuff and the floor-malted was really nice. Weird, right? Personally I just find it strange that I have had NO flavor or inconsistency issues with any other malt and that goes for regular 2-row, British, domestic, Canadian, etc.

[Steve Urquell]

I sent an e-mail to NB--where I bought the malt. A good CS rep named Gabe is checking with Weyermann for me. When some of the peeps on the German brewing forum were bashing this malt I told Ken they were full of crap. The last sack of it I used was the best malt I've ever used--period.

This really bums me out b/c there probably isn't another malt that's gonna make beer as good as I made with that last bag.

ETA--the 3 star rating: I hit that stupid star-rating button on my Kindle touchscreen all the time when using it to surf the site.

Edited by chils, 25 April 2016 - 04:19 PM.